Posted By DJ Bean On October 18, 2011 @ 12:34 pm In General | No Comments

Former Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle[1] is back in town with the Hurricanes, and he received his Stanley Cup[2] ring Tuesday morning from B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli.

“It’s really nice,” Kaberle said of the ring. “Whoever did it, they did a nice job. I’m sure everybody liked it. It was a long season, but it was well worth it.”

After being acquired on Feb. 18 from Toronto in exchange for Joe Colborne, a 2011 first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick in 2012 (the Maple Leafs[3] got the pick when the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup finals), Kaberle struggled in Boston. He failed to improve a weak power play, displayed poor skating was heavily criticized in the media for his tendency to pass when a shot was there. Kaberle’s ice time was cut significantly as the playoffs wore on, yet through his struggles, Kaberle never ducked the media and on Tuesday said he won’t let the criticism damage his memory of his stint in Boston.

“Obviously, that comes with the territory and comes with the job,” Kaberle said of the criticism. “There’s always pressure, and if you’re not performing like you’re supposed to, you’re going to hear it. That’s fine with me.”

The Bruins told Kaberle following the season to test the waters and that they would stay in touch. Kaberle went unsigned in the first few days of free agency before eventually getting a three-year, $12.75 million deal with the Hurricanes. He said Tuesday that there were points at which he thought he’d be back in Boston.

“We were talking for a bit,” he said. “Obviously, my agent did all the work. At the end of the day, Carolina had the most interest in me. I felt like it was a good decision. My brother [Frantisek Kaberle[4]] helped me as well. He played there before and always said good things about the Carolina organization and teammates. It made it even easier for me.

“When you win the Stanley Cup, it’s tough to leave, but sometimes it’s a business and that’s the way it goes in the NHL[5].”

Through five games this season, Kaberle has one point (an assist) and is a minus-5.